READER’S CORNER: Born and read in Nova Scotia

Today (Nov. 19), the Read to Me! program will reach a remarkable milestone — the delivery of the 100,000th reading package to new parents at the hospital bedside within 24 hours of their baby’s birth. (HERALD FILE)

Since 2002, the Read to Me! program has been at hospital bedsides delivering a bag of free books and reading resources to every baby born in Nova Scotia. Today (Nov. 19), Read to Me! will reach a remarkable milestone — the delivery of the 100,000th Read to Me! bag.

The research is clear. Start early and empower parents to engage their child every day in literacy-rich activities. The Canadian Pediatric Society states “children’s early experiences with books and reading help prepare them for school and set them up for success later in life. Exposing babies to books and reading increases vocabulary and makes it easier for them to learn to read later on.”

This research is put into practice in Nova Scotia every day through the award-winning Read to Me! program. Bright yellow bags filled with free books, rhymes and music are delivered to new parents at the hospital bedside within 24 hours of their baby’s birth. The books and resources are available in English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Mi’kmaq and Gaelic, as well as for hearing and visually impaired children.

This work couldn’t happen without the dedication of hundreds of volunteers across the province who pack the bags, deliver them to new families at the hospital bedside, and support the program in their communities. Read to Me! is a non-profit organization funded through an endowment, with contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations and the federal and provincial governments. We continue to build the endowment to ensure the gift of books for Nova Scotian babies forever.

I am very proud of the impact this program has had on nurturing a love of reading in Nova Scotian families. When it began, there were some raised eyebrows when books were given to parents as soon as their baby was born. Many parents were surprised to learn of the many benefits of reading to their baby right from birth. Today receiving books and reading support at the hospital bedside in Nova Scotia is an expectation, and parents understand that books and reading are an important part of a child’s health and well-being.

Picture this: a new baby cuddled in the arms of her parents listening to the lulling sound of their voices as they read to her. The baby can feel her parent’s arms around her, and the heartbeat rhythm as they read the story aloud. She can see the bright bold pictures in the book.

In this quiet moment the family is taking a break from the busyness of the day to connect with a cuddle and share a story. Reading together is a joy for both parent and child — but it is so much more. In that time, parents give their child the gift of language and literacy, supporting bonding and attachment and nurturing their baby’s developing brain. All that is happening in those precious shared moments.

Now, imagine 100,000 parents cuddling 100,000 babies in their arms and singing a lullaby or chanting a rhyme. That’s a lot of babies, a lot of books, a lot of learning and a lot of joy.

Nova Scotians can be very proud to live in a province that offers one of the few provincewide hospital-based early literacy programs in Canada. Every day across the province, babies are welcomed into the world with the gift of books and the message that literacy is their birthright. This wise investment in the early years will yield high returns as Read to Me! babies enter school with a solid foundation of language and a love of reading that began the day they were born.